


what has become of the heart of that man?

by bluesandbirds



Series: the story of tonight [2]
Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Angst, Dream Smp, Gen, Guilt, Implied/Referenced Character Death, No respawns, l'manburg, tommy's dead i'm sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-23
Updated: 2020-09-23
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:48:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 746
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26472127
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bluesandbirds/pseuds/bluesandbirds
Summary: After a war of betrayals and sacrifices, Eret is the one who came out on top. He's lost nothing that can't be replaced or soothed with gold and jewels.(Except maybe that's just not true).
Series: the story of tonight [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1936111
Comments: 11
Kudos: 384





	what has become of the heart of that man?

**Author's Note:**

> i wrote the majority of this before the elections, but im posting it now because i can smell an eret redemption arc incoming
> 
> title from epic iii from hadestown

Eret hums to himself as he bustles around his castle. He rifles through chests, filling up his inventory with grey stone, his block of choice for his newest projects. Two imposing towers, looming over the walls of the new nation L'Manchildburg.

It's a relief to be able to build again. The war was good for him—great, even—but now that it's all settled, he gets to go back to crafting and leave the destruction behind him.

He ponders over the stacks of stone in his inventory, comparing how much he used on his first tower to how much he thinks he'll need for his second. After he finishes this second tower, he'll probably go back and reinforce his original tower with obsidian to prevent any meddling from any bitter L'Manchildren. Then, maybe he'll do the same to his other tower, and then he'll work on doors and redstone and decorations and maybe even another tower and then... 

Eret has so much work to do. 

Loud footsteps come from behind him, echoing in the large room.

"What the fuck, Eret?"

Fundy. His old friend. His enemy.

"Hello, Fundy, what brings you here?"

"Don't give me that shit, why is there a giant fucking penis tower over L'Manburg?"

He allows himself a smug grin as he turns to look at Fundy. The sunlight through the rainbow window casts his old ally in faint yellow. "I see you've noticed my latest project. See, the lack of war lately has given me more time to create. I finished construction of the Pride Palace and so I figured I set up some more bases. As a king, I should be claiming a lot of land around my kingdom."

Fundy sighs. Brown eyes meets the lenses of sunglasses. 

"What do you want from us, Eret?"

The king falters, smirk slipping a fraction.

He expected anger. Fear. Sadness. He did not expect slumped shoulders and tired, tired eyes.

He straightens. "I want to build my tower overlooking L'Manchildburg."

"Why?" Fundy says, "Why can't you just stay on your land and leave us in peace. Haven't you taken enough from us?"

He feels himself grow hot with indignation. "I had nothing to do with... _that_."

The L'Manburgian scoffs. "You do not get to distance yourself from what happened that day. The duel wouldn't have happened if it wasn't for your betrayal."

"I tried giving you a fighting chance. It's not my fault L'Manburg was weak from the beginning."

Fundy takes a step forward, finger jutting out accusatorially. "The only weak one here is you."

Eret pauses, taking in the absurdity of the statement. He casts a meaningful looking around to his proud walls and down at his crimson robes.

"I'm a king now," he says.

Fundy laughs, an ugly, harsh sound. 

Eret scowls. "I have a castle and you have a crater."

"You have nothing," Fundy says. "You think when it comes down to it the people in your server will follow you over Dream? You think any of them respect you? You have no actual power. You're not a king. You're a coward."

"They respect me more than anyone in your little trailer park ever did. They call me King Eret." For the first time, Eret loses his composure, voice rising with his words. "They don't do stupid pranks here. There's no drug jokes. No hopeless quests. And best of all, no _obnoxious children._ " 

The air is still.

He takes a breath, tips his chin up. He does not take it back.

Fundy is shaking with barely concealed emotion.

" _Tommy_ died a hero. How's history going to remember you?"

Empty title. Empty promises. Empty castle.

"Face it, Dream's the true king here, always has been. He played you." Fundy steps back towards the exit. "Enjoy your life, Eret, I hope you're satisfied."

He waits until the tail of Fundy's coat disappears through the door to let out a breath.

He shakes his head. "Stupid fucking furry," he says as he turns.

Eret stares up at his golden throne.

A boy's voice comes from behind him.

"Was it worth it?"

His hands tremble in tightly clenched fists. "Go away."

"Was it?"

"Why can't you people just _leave me alone_?"

"Answer the question."

" _No,_ " he shouts, voice bouncing off the walls of the castle. "No, it wasn't worth it! Is that what you wanted to hear?" His cape swirls as he whips around.

There's no one there.

Eret collapses to his knees and _cries_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here's the second section of this series. i know everyone wants to see the fallout with techno and dream, and hopefully i will be getting that out, but don't hold your breath because it'll probably take me a minute.  
> this story was heavily inspired by epic ii and epic iii from hadestown, i would recommend giving both of those a listen because they're really beautiful and kind of exemplify how i feel about dream and eret in this au.  
> also, i know "L'Manburg" isn't the popular spelling of it, but i prefer the "u" over the "e" and i capitalized the "M" at some point and just didn't stop, so there you go.  
> anyways, thanks for reading and for all the kind comments and kudos on my first story, they really make my day.

**Author's Note:**

> so this is the second work in this series. i know everyone wanted to see the fall out with techno and dream, and hopefully i will be getting around to that, but it might take me a minute so don't hold your breath.  
> this story was heavily inspired by epic ii (original) and epic iii (broadway) from hadestown, and i recommend giving both of those a listen because they're very beautiful and really exemplify how i feel about dream and eret in this au.  
> also, i know "L'Manburg" is a weird and unpopular spelling, but i prefer the "u" to the "e" and i capitalized the "M" at some point and just didn't stop, so there you go.  
> anyways, thank you for reading and for all the kind comments and kudos on my first story, they make my day.


End file.
